Swine Southern Table & Bar Opens In Coral Gables, Fla.
50 Eggs Inc. has done it again. After opening their authentic Southern restaurant, Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, in the fall of 2011, they have decided to bring yet another important dimension of rural Southern lifestyle to Miami: the "noble hog" (as they like to call it).
The culinary team opened Swine Southern Table and Bar, a self proclaimed "house of worship to the porcine pursuits," in Coral Gables, Fla. on March 11th. And it looks like it will be the perfect place for meat lovers to hang out post-sunbathe.
The interior is trendy yet rustic, with walls of brick and wood taken from a dismantled barn in South Carolina. There is vintage gold lighting dangling overhead, a wooden cupboard against the wall, baskets, and beautiful photography on the walls that reflect the life of the rural south. To top it off, an industrial steel light fixture adds an edgy modern touch with a brightly lit red sign that states "Run Pig Run and the second floor seating area adds just enough space for this restaurant to seat 100 people.
Like the architecture, the menu is also traditionally Southern with a modern twist. To start their meal off, diners can choose from dishes such as the Brunswick stew made with alligator sausage, smoked rabbit, butter beans, pickled okra and preserved lemon, BBQ marrow with cox Farm Alabama marrow, yam jam, and grilled country bread, or black angus burnt ends with fried cornbread, Kansas City molasses mop sauce, and purple watercress.
Big plate selection focuses more on the meaty side of things with Heritage "Pork n' Beans," a 12-hour-smoked pork shoulder with stewed beans, tomato-peanut relish and Paradise Farms honey glaze; the 14-hour smoked brisket with a chicory and spice rub; the dry rubbed and smoked memphis-style spare ribs with cider vinegar mop and homemade pickles; and the smoked duck sassafras made of smoked confit leg, crispy seared breast, pickled trinity vegetables, smoked sweet potato and okra ragu, and sassafras sauce. For those who would prefer to steer clear of red meat, the shrimp & grits with spiced Florida pink shrimp, crisp Virginia ham, and grits and the wood-grilled fish are some additonal options. And last, but certainly not least, tables of six or more have the option to "go whole hog" with whole pigs, ducks, and more.
Swine also provides its diners with a wide array of interesting cocktails and liquors to complement the meaty, Southern menu. They have a great bourbon collection with rare, limited editions and house fusions, and large selections of scotch, whiskey, brandy and rum. There are also some cool cocktails such as the Hemingway daquiri with heritage limited edition Bacardi, Maraschino liqueur, grapefruit juice, and lime juice and the Swine Old Fashioned with bacon washed old Overholt Rye whiskey, maple syrup, and house-made 'swine' bitters. If liqueur isn't your thing, there is also an extensive selection wine and beer designed to complement the food on the menu.
And if eating a starter and a big plate, or just a whole pig, isn't enough, there is a dessert menu with dishes such as the red velvet layer cake with cream cheese frosting, local strawberry-thyme jam, lemon curd, frosted coconut, and French vanilla bean ice cream, the warm "sticky icky" bun made of maple-bourbon toffee syrup, pecan butter, candied smoked bacon, and "sweet potato pie" ice cream, and the "slice of heaven" (homemade pie of the day) with buttermilk ice cream.
Swine Southern Table & Bar is open seven days a week for dinner, Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for lunch, and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for brunch. So basically, there is no excuse for you not to go.
Skyler Bouchard is a junior writer at the Daily Meal. Follow her on twitter at @skylerbouchard.